The Sobremesa Brûlée Wagashi is a collaboration between DT&T and Cigar Dojo. It was first a Smoke Inn exclusive that built on the Sobremesa Brûlée Blue and is a modified blend of the Blue. The Blue is one of my favorite cigars from Steve Saka; so I was looking forward to this release to see how it compares. The Sobremesa Brûlée Wagashi is an “ongoing limited production” from Steve Saka and Dunbarton Tobacco & Trust. What “ongoing limited production means” is probably open to interpretation, but I’m assuming it means that it’s a regular production cigar that will release as it becomes available at the factory.
OVERVIEW
VITOLA: Toro
SIZE: 6″ x 50
ORIGIN: Nicaragua
FACTORY: Fábrica de Tabacos Joya de Nicaragua S.A
WRAPPER: Ecuadorian Connecticu
BINDER: Mexican San Andrés negro
FILLER: Nicaragua
STRENGTH: Medium
SOURCE:
halfwheel
ENVIRONMENT
WHERE:
Studio/Lounge
WHEN:
June 15th
DRINKS:
Bottled Water
WEATHER:
70° & 70%RH
HOW MANY CIGARS SMOKED:
3
PRODUCTION
RELEASE TYPE “Ongoing Limited Production”
ORIGINALLY RELEASE DATE November 2023 (Smoke Inn Exclusive) & April 2024 (Everywhere)
TOTAL PRODUCTION
Typical Box Size: Boxes of 13
Production Totals: Unknown
VITOLA BREAKDOWN
o Toro (6″ x 50)
BAND DESIGN
The bands on he Sobremesa Brûlée Wagashi are quite similar to the Brûlée Blue. Double banded at the top, the gold band has a light green accent. The secondary band has “Cigar*Dojo” on it. The foot band says, “Sobremesa.” The box is similar to the Blue as well, with both coming in a quantity of 13.
PRE-LIGHT OBSERVATIONS
CONSTRUCTION
The Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper is almost the definition of luxurious. Smooth to the touch. While you can see veins crisscross the length of the Wagashi, you can not feel them. There is no tooth to the Ecuadorian Connecticut wrapper, but a nice sheen of oil is easily seen on the box pressed Wagashi. The pigtailed cap is expertly applied. It’s a quite luxurious looking cigar. The trunk press adds to the pre-light mystique.
AROMA
The wrapper gives off a very light note of wood. It’s almost nonexistent. The foot is where the aromas come to life! Earthy notes of barnyard and and musty forest floor jump out. A rich fruity note, almost like fig, is there, too.
COLD DRAW
Notes of barnyard and chocolate dominate the cold draw. There’s a spiciness that lingers on my palate. The draw has the right amount of resistance.
SMOKING EXPERIENCE
LIGHT & DRAW
Cut: Le Petit by Les Fines Lames
Fire: The Bar Single Flame Torch Lighter by Peter James
Wood, cream, graham cracker, and baking spices all jump from the initial light. Spicy and creamy. Big notes of black pepper on the retrohale. Bold notes for a Connecticut, even off the initial light. There’s a sweetness there, but I can’t place it. It’s not fruit or chocolate…it’s almost just sugar. Maybe honey or agave?
SMOKE
The smoke is wonderful. It’s thick and satisfying, coating my palate with each draw.
FIRST THIRD
>> Sweet Cream, Citrus, Baking Spices
As the initial light calms down, the Sobremesa Brûlée Wagashi gives up notes of sweet cream, toast, baking spices, and honey. Black pepper on the retrohale. There might be a light note of citrus hiding in the background. Red pepper lingers on the palate. I’m not sure what I was expecting with the Wagashi, but it wasn’t this. Full of flavor and interesting. The ash is grey with streaks of black and compact. The burn line is straight and the mascara line is thick. The citrus note comes through, cutting through the pepper and spices. Creamy and full of flavor. Salted…something now joins the party. It’s almost like a salted cereal, if that makes sense? The ash flakes, ever so slightly, as I deposit it in the tray. The salty and sweet notes make the blend come alive. Pepper, cream, wood, and citrus all melt together.
SECOND THIRD
>> Nuts, Cayenne Pepper, White Pepper
FINAL THIRD
>> Coffee, Cedar, Chocolate
The final third of the Wagashi begins with ramping up the flavors: coffee, cinnamon, campfire, salted nuts, and bread. Again, there is light sweetness but almost fruity now. Gone are the notes of cream and honey. The ash is more flakey than before and the burn line has become uneven. A hint of wet leaves on a forest floor is there, holding the other flavors up. The fruity sweetness comes and goes, playing hide-and-seek with my palate. Cedar, coffee, spices, and earth. Hints of sweetness and citrus now. The smoke is still creamy. The burn line has self corrected. Bread and spice linger on my palate. The final third, like much of the Wagashi, is not subtle. The complex flavors demand your attention. You are rewarded for your efforts with hints of chocolate, cream, and fruit.
RATING & FINAL THOUGHTS
FLAVOR PROGRESSION
The Sobremesa Brûlée Wagashi’s flavors start strong, become less strong in the middle, and end with big bold flavors. Red pepper, earth, wood, sweet cream, black pepper and nuts flow through the majority of the Wagashi. Coffee, mushrooms, charred wood all compliment the main tasting notes well. When salted nuts, fruit, and honey find their way in the Wagashi becomes something special.
BURN EXPERIENCE
The burn only became uneven once, and that was in the final third. The ash was not overly flakey. There’s not much to critique here.
RATING BREAKDOWN
0.70 / 0.80 … Craft & Aesthetic
0.50 / 0.50 … Pre-Light Characteristics
0.50 / 0.50 … Lighting Process
6.97 / 7.70 … Smoking Experience
0.40 / 0.50 … Personal Enjoyment
COMPLIMENTS & CRITIQUES
- The construction was almost perfect.
- Overall, I thought the flavor progression was very good and quite surprising for a Connecticut.
- Boxes of 13? I miss boxes of 20.
- The middle third was a little underwhelming compared to the first and final thirds.
The Sobremesa Brûlée Wagashi Builds on the Blue.
The Sobremesa Brûlée Wagashi hits all the right notes that I look for in a Connecticut: Cream, cream, coffee, nuts, sweetness, citrus, pepper. In short, the Sobremesa Brûlée Wagashi is not your run-of-the-mill, boring “connie.” Will it pair with a cup of coffee in the morning? Yes! Can you smoke it after dinner and be satisfied? Yes! Will new cigar enthusiasts find it too much? Maybe, but probably not. My main critique of the Wagashi is the middle third. It just kind of gets dragged along with the other two thirds. Is it bad? Absolutely not. In my opinion, it’s just not as good as the first and final thirds. Should you go get the Wagashi? Yes! I’d buy a box, but it’s only a box of 13. Maybe just get a 5 pack and see what you think.
*The Sobremesa Brûlée Wagashi is available at our site sponsor Small Batch Cigar.
